Pafos Live 16 July 2026
The Paphos Traffic Police continues its targeted campaigns to prevent road collisions.
Members of the force carried out yesterday from 4 pm to 9 pm hundreds of stops and checks of wheeled drivers within the city of Paphos and neighbouring communities.
According to the police, 101 traffic complaints were filed, while four vehicles that did not have the necessary certificates were detained.
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Hundreds of packs of nicotine bags of various brands without relevant licenses were found at a kiosk in Kato Paphos. They were located after a coordinated operation yesterday by YKAN Paphos, with the assistance of the Paphos Police Station, the Pharmaceutical Services, the Customs Department and the Unit for Combating Intellectual Property Offenses and Illegal Betting.
In an announcement by the Customs Department, it is stated that during the inspection of the premises, 377 packages of nicotine bags of various brands were found, for which no import or distribution for sale in the Cypriot market had been secured. The audit also found that the owner did not hold the required license to trade or sell legal industrial tobacco products that he had for sale in his premises.
The owner of the premises was arrested for flagrante delicto customs offenses, while the above quantities of nicotine bags were confiscated.
After the completion of the investigations, his proposal for an out-of-court settlement of the offenses with the payment of an amount of €3,100 was accepted. At the same time, he consented in writing to the abandonment of the confiscated products, which will follow the prescribed destruction procedure.
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A new case of possession of child sexual abuse material is being investigated by the Police, who as part of the police examinations, arrested a 58-year-old man today.
The investigation of the case began after information received by the Police from Europol and stated that an account user of an online communication application uploaded material of sexual abuse of minors to his account. From the examinations carried out by the Electronic Crime Sub-Directorate, to verify the identity of the suspect, evidence emerged against the 58-year-old.
Pursuant to a court warrant, members of the Cybercrime Sub-Directorate conducted a search of the 58-year-old's residence today, where two mobile phones, two laptops, three electronic data storage units – USB and two external hard drives for storing electronic data were located and detained for forensic examination.
The 58-year-old was arrested by the members of the Police, by virtue of a court warrant and was taken into custody for the purpose of police examinations, with the Police investigating a case of acquisition/possession/access and distribution of child pornography material.
The case is being investigated by the Cybercrime Sub-Directorate
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Pafos Press
The Supreme Court has rejected a British citizen’s application for permission to file a new application for review, putting a definitive end to a multi-year legal dispute with a Chinese national, which concerned a claim for €920,000 that, according to him, his ex-partner obtained by fraud, false representations and undue influence.
The case began in 2014, when the Briton filed a lawsuit at the Paphos District Court, claiming, among other things, €920,000 in damages, claiming that the defendant had unduly benefited from money that had been transferred to her. In 2016, a decision was issued in his favour, due to the defendant's failure to file a notice of appearance, which ordered the return of the money, awarding the amount of €920,000 with interest and costs, while the Court recognized that the money in her bank account belonged to the plaintiff.
The defendant later challenged the decision, initially achieving its dismissal, with the Court of First Instance ruling that the service of the lawsuit had not been made legally. However, this development was overturned by the Court of Appeal, which ruled that the service was valid and ordered a new hearing of the application for dismissal.
In the meantime, however, the case had taken a different turn. In 2023, the District Court accepted the defendant's preliminary objections and struck out the main claims of the lawsuit, ruling that the plaintiff had no legal right to claim the disputed amounts personally, since the transfers had been made by companies and not by him. This decision was never appealed and became final.
Later, the Court of Appeal, examining a new appeal, found that, despite the defendant's delay in requesting the setting aside of the initial decision, there was a debatable defense and that, under the particular circumstances of the case, the 2016 decision should be set aside. At the same time, it pointed out that the 2023 interim decision, by which the main claims of the lawsuit had already been struck out, was now binding, with the result that there was no subject matter left to adjudicate.
The British citizen then appealed to the Supreme Court, seeking leave for a new trial, raising four legal issues relating, among others, to the appellate intervention, the defendant’s delay, the reasoning of the decision and the legal consequences of setting aside the original decision.
The Supreme Court rejected all the claims, holding that the Court of Appeal correctly applied the principles governing the setting aside of decisions and took into account the exceptional circumstances of the specific case. It also stressed that it could not function as a “Court of Appeal of the Court of Appeal” and that there was no reason to grant leave for a new trial.
Particular emphasis was placed on the fact that the applicant himself had never appealed the decisive interim decision of 2023, which struck out the substantive claims of the action. The Supreme Court noted that decisions that are not appealed or overturned remain binding, which meant that there was no longer any claim to be heard.
Accordingly, the Supreme Court dismissed the application and awarded the respondent costs of €2,000 plus VAT, where applicable.
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Filenews
Ten arrests were made last night as part of targeted preventive operations by the Police.
The result of the policing operations, it is stated in a relevant announcement, was the arrest of ten persons, for various offenses including fighting, illegal possession of drugs, illegal possession of property, assault causing actual bodily harm, anxiety and illegal stay.
During the night, 824 vehicles were stopped for inspection and 1.011 drivers and passengers were checked. At the same time, 47 inspections of premises were carried out, from which four complaints emerged.
During traffic checks carried out, 452 complaints were made for various traffic violations, of which 162 concern driving at excessive speed. A total of 258 alcohol tests were performed, with 16 positive results, as well as a preliminary drug test with a positive result.
Also, as part of the police examinations, nine vehicles were detained.
Policing operations, for the prevention and suppression of crime, continue every day, with an enhanced police presence, targeted controls and immediate operational action, in order to protect citizens and ensure public order.
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The authorities in Cyprus carried out an operation to execute European search and arrest warrants, handcuffing two persons.
A relevant announcement states that two persons, wanted by the authorities of Belgium and the Netherlands, for a fraud case, were located and arrested in Cyprus, as part of an operation carried out by the Cyprus Police, in cooperation with EUROPOL.
The operation concerned cases of financial and online fraud, committed between the years 2023-2025 and being investigated by Belgium and the Netherlands. As part of the investigation, an operation was carried out in Cyprus, on July 7, 2026, with the assistance of Europol.
The operation took place in Cyprus on 7 July 2026, with the participation of more than 30 members of the Cyprus Police and the assistance of members of Europol and the authorities of Belgium and the Netherlands. Searches were carried out in homes, offices and premises, where a large number of documents were located and received.
At the same time, two persons aged 34 and 45 were located and arrested, under European arrest warrants.
The arrested were brought before the Limassol District Court, where the process of their extradition to Belgium began.
On behalf of the Cyprus Police, the Office for the Execution of European Investigation Orders and Requests for Judicial Assistance, the Crime Department, the Forensic Electronic Data Laboratory, the TAE and the Limassol OPE, as well as members of the national Europol unit, participated in the operation.
It is noted that in Cyprus, a third person was located and arrested, during searches carried out by the British Bases Police, on the territory of the Bases.
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Two new cases of online fraud and theft of large sums of money are being investigated by the Police, following complaints submitted today to the TAE Limassol and the TAE Paphos.
According to the complaint filed by a 50-year-old man at the Limassol Police Department, on July 11 he received an e-mail message, which fraudulently resembled a message from a bank in which he has an account, stating that his bank account details should be renewed.
Following the instructions mentioned in the message, the 50-year-old granted access to his online bank account, as a result of which the perpetrators of the fraud extracted from his bank accounts, a total amount of €29,599, by transferring money to accounts in banks abroad.
The case is being investigated by the Financial Crime Investigation Office, of the Limassol Police Department.
According to the complaint filed by a 48-year-old woman at the Paphos Police Department, last April, she found an investment website on the internet, in which she registered. After her registration, she was contacted by an unknown man, who claimed to be a representative of the company that owns the website and persuaded her to grant him remote access to her computer, in order to help her invest her money.
Following the instructions of the unknown suspect, between April and June, the 48-year-old transferred the total amount of €26,429 to various bank accounts in foreign banks, which the suspect indicated to her.
Later, however, the 48-year-old suspected that she had been deceived when she was asked to pay an amount of €5,000, for the security of her investment, as well as when she asked for an amount of €1,000 of her money to be returned and the suspect claimed that this would result in her losing all the money of her investment and urged her to transfer more money supposedly for investment.
The case is being investigated by the Financial Crime Investigation Office, of the Paphos Police Department.
The Police, on the occasion of these new fraud complaints, again recommends attention to the public. It is emphasized that access to electronic devices through a remote connection, as well as access to online accounts, must be avoided, while personal and bank account information must be protected and never disclosed to any persons.
It is recommended that citizens always carry out a check to verify any allegations or reports they receive through online messages or phone calls from unknown persons. Such control and verification should be done through the official and notified communication channels of the organizations involved.
Citizens are also urged to cooperate only with recognized companies and approved financial investment advisors to carry out any transactions and investments online.
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Weapons and cartridges were found by the Police this afternoon, during a search of a house in Larnaca.
The investigation was carried out this afternoon, by members of various Police departments, after evaluating and analyzing information.
During the search, which was carried out on the basis of a court warrant, the following were located and seized:
- two automatic firearms,
- a pistol and
- number of cartridges of various calibres;
The confiscated items will be sent for scientific and forensic examinations, to determine their possible use in criminal actions.
A specific person is being sought for the case.
The operation is part of the targeted operations of the Police to combat organized crime and strengthen the sense of security of citizens.
The examinations continue from the TAE of Larnaca.
Update - Investigations to locate a 38-year-old Greek Cypriot are being carried out by the TAE Larnaca in relation to the weaponry found yesterday afternoon in a house in Larnaca. This is a person who has previously occupied the Police for various cases.
The weapon was located yesterday afternoon at his home by members of various police departments, after evaluating specific information.
During the investigation, two automatic firearms (a G3 and a Czech-made weapon resembling a Kalashnikov), a German-made pistol and a number of cartridges of various calibres were found and confiscated.
The confiscated items will be sent for scientific and forensic examinations, to determine whether they have been used in criminal acts in the past.
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Two persons were located and arrested by members of the Police, as part of the investigation of the case of a fight, committed in Xylofagou, on the night of July 08.
They are a 26-year-old and a 24-year-old, who were located last night by members of the Police in Larnaca and who were arrested on the basis of court warrants.
It is recalled that photos and details of the 26-year-old and 24-year-old, as well as photos and details of four other suspects who are still wanted, were released by the Police, yesterday, for the purpose of collecting information that could lead to their identification.
Three other persons have been arrested for the fight case, while five other persons are still wanted.
The TAE of Famagusta continues the exams.
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The 30-year-old from Bulgaria, father of the two unfortunate boys aged 8 and 10, who were found dead in a car on the afternoon of June 28, will be brought before the Court of Dhekelia at the British Bases at 11:00. The 30-year-old is accused of causing death due to a reckless and reckless act and is expected today, according to the information from the BB, to answer whether or not he pleads guilty.
The process will not take place in the physical presence of a judge, but via teleconference. Specifically, there will be an electronic connection with a senior judge, who will handle today's proceedings. According to the BB's information, it is most likely that in the next trials the process will take place in the physical presence of a judge who will rush from Britain, as was the case in the case of the murder in Ormideia in the summer of 2024.
Based on the findings of the investigations of the Crime Investigation Department (CID), it was decided that the father should be charged with a more severe charge, since he allegedly did not return home when he went to school, but went to another place. His lawyer, Adriana Klaidi, during the previous hearing had told her client that he denies all the charges brought against him and objected to his detention. However, her request was rejected and it was decided that the 30-year-old remain in custody.
It is recalled that the two brothers had been left unattended, since the father rushed to work in Limassol on the morning of June 28, while his 38-year-old partner, who was initially arrested, did the same, however, she was released unconditionally. The father, as heard in court, allegedly went to work in Limassol at 4:30 in the morning of Sunday, July 28 and returned to his apartment in Xylofagou, after the children from his cohabitation were found dead.
It is noted that the movements of the two children were recorded by a closed-circuit surveillance camera, which is activated through movement. According to competent sources, this camera shows at 12:10 noon the children playing in the yard and around 2:30 in the afternoon getting into the car. It is noted that the children were found unconscious in the back seat by their stepmother after 5:30 in the afternoon.
The children seem to have managed to enter the car, which was parked in the open area of the apartment building where they lived, through an open door in the back. As revealed by Filenews, expert examinations showed damage to the specific door, which remained unlocked, despite the fact that the car was locked. It then seems that they locked themselves in the car and were trapped in it, since the child lock was also activated.
Update - in-cyprus
The father of the two boys, aged eight and ten, found dead in his car in Xylophagou on the afternoon of June 28 returned to the Dhekelia Court in the British Sovereign Base Areas today, charged with causing death through a reckless and careless act.
The 30-year-old remains in custody.
The CID’s investigation found that the father reportedly did not go straight home after finishing work that day, but went elsewhere instead. It was on this basis that the decision was taken to charge him with the more serious offence.
The hearing was pre-trial in nature and was held by video link rather than with a judge physically present, with a direct connection made to a senior judge in England who will oversee the trial. The court set September 22 as the date charges will formally be read to the father, when he will be asked to enter a plea. Should he plead not guilty, the hearing of the case will begin on September 30.
Father seeks to attend sons’ funeral
The hearing was told the father has changed legal representation and now appears with lawyer Christos Theodoulou. Theodoulou said the father will submit a request to attend his sons’ funeral, noting that the boys’ bodies have not yet been transferred to Bulgaria. The judge is due to announce a decision on July 30 on whether the father will be permitted to travel to Bulgaria.
As previously reported, the two brothers were left unsupervised after the father left for work in Limassol at 4:30am on June 28. His 38-year-old partner left for work shortly afterwards. She was initially arrested but later released unconditionally. The father returned to his flat in Xylophagou after the children were found dead by his partner.
The children’s movements had been recorded by motion-activated CCTV. According to sources close to the investigation, the footage shows the boys playing in the yard at 12:10pm and getting into the car at around 2:30pm. The stepmother found the children unresponsive in the back seat after 5:30pm.
The boys appear to have gained entry to the car, which was parked in the open area of the apartment building where they lived, through an open door at the back. Filenews revealed that expert examination found damage to that door, which had remained unlocked despite the car itself being locked. The children then appear to have become trapped inside the vehicle, with the child safety lock activated.
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The British father of the three-year-old child who lost his life when he fell from the fourth-floor window of a hotel in Paphos is asking to be released immediately.
The father, in a letter sent through his lawyer, to the Police Headquarters and the Assistant Chief of Police, Mr. Marios Agiotis, submitted a request for his immediate conditional release. In the letter, the lawyer emphasizes that his further detention aggravates the already burdened psychological state of the father, who stated that what interests him is "to be released from prison so that he and his wife can inform their 5-year-old daughter of the fact of the death of their three-year-old child, to whom the only thing they have mentioned so far is that their son is in the Hospital".
The lawyer notes that his client appeared before the court in a state of unspeakable mental shock and without legal representation and due to his psychological state he did not object to his eight-day detention.
He emphasizes that he fully cooperated with the authorities and suggests that the continuation of his deprivation of liberty is now devoid of purpose.
This is the letter:
Acting at the behest of our aforementioned client, we are contacting you in order to bring the following critical issues to your attention and request his immediate release from detention, on the basis of the provisions of the Criminal Procedure Law and the relevant case law.
1. Our client is the tragic father of the three-year-old child who, under extremely sad and tragic circumstances, lost his life in a hotel in Paphos on 12/07/2026. The family had just arrived in Cyprus for their planned vacation, with the fatal event taking place on the very first day of their stay on the island.
2. Yesterday, 13/07/2026, our client, in a state of unspeakable mental shock and without legal representation, appeared before the Paphos District Court. The Court ordered his 8-day detention, at the request of the Police, to which he – due to his psychological state – did not raise any objection.
3. On the same day, our client fully cooperated with the investigative authorities, voluntarily giving a testimony, in which he honestly presented his own version of the events. In addition, as we are informed, the investigative authorities also received statements from his relatives yesterday.
4. With all due respect, the continuation of our client's detention no longer serves any investigative purpose whatsoever. That part of the investigative work, which our client could theoretically or in any way influence, has already been fully completed.
5. In that regard, we note that the time of detention of a suspect is not an end in itself, but is directly related to the remaining investigative work. As characteristically indicated by the Supreme Court in the very recent decision of SAVVA V. POLICE, Criminal Appeal 58/2026, dated 6.3.2026:
"It is well known that, in the present case, there is no precise formula for determining the time for which a suspect should be ordered to be detained. The time of detention depends on the volume and nature of the investigative work that is expected to be carried out."
6. Of particular importance is the explicit guidance of the above case law, which confirms that it is a given instruction that, if the investigative work is completed earlier than the expiry of the detention order, the suspect is immediately released:
"After all, the provision and instruction always remains active for a suspect to be released if the investigations are completed beforehand."
7. In the case under consideration, in view of the full completion of the critical investigative actions (testimonies of the suspect and relatives), we suggest that the continuation of the deprivation of our client's liberty is now devoid of purpose. Therefore, we kindly ask that instructions be given immediately for his dismissal.
8. The tragedy of the situation in which our client found himself is such that his further detention burdens his already burdened psychological state as well as that of his family. In particular, allow me to mention that in a personal interview we had with him, he stated that what he was interested in is to be released from prison so that he and his wife could inform their 5-year-old daughter about the death of their three-year-old child, to whom the only thing they have mentioned so far is that their son is in the Hospital.
9. I am sure that you also understand that we are facing a tragic case which cannot leave anyone unaffected from a humanitarian point of view. Please, having in mind the above, arrange for the immediate release of our client.
10. Recognizing that our client is a British citizen, and in order to eliminate any concern of the authorities in relation to the possibility of his absconding, we recommend that he be released under the following strict restrictive conditions, which he voluntarily accepts:
1. Delivery of all his travel documents to the police authorities.
2. Appearance and signature at the Paphos Central Police Station, on a specified day and time.
3. Notification of his exact address of residence in Cyprus, which he/she undertakes to declare in writing and binding to the Police.
In view of the above, and in view of both the provisions of the Criminal Procedure, the jurisprudence and the tragedy of the case, we call on you to exercise your legal powers and order his immediate release under the proposed conditions.
"They must release him today"
In his statements to Filenews, the father's lawyer, Petros Stavrou, said that the letter was sent on Tuesday, July 14, 2026, however so far he has not received a response. He explained that he offered to hand over his travel documents as an alternative, because the authorities had some concerns because he is a foreigner.
The lawyer stressed that they are asking for immediate dismissal. "They must immediately release the man, if possible even today. There is no legal reason for this man to be inside. What will affect the investigative work?", he added.
As Mr. Stavrou said, the eight-day detention order issued against his client expires on Monday, July 20, 2026. However, he noted that in the event that the investigations are completed earlier and before the expiration of the detention order, the Police are obliged to release him. So, as he indicated, there is also a legal basis for the above request, not just a humanitarian one.
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The 46-year-old father and his two adult children, aged 23 and 21, appeared before the Famagusta District Court today, who face a total of 122 charges for serious offenses of violence and abuse against minor children in the family. The defendants requested legal aid, with the Court reserving its decision, while setting a new hearing for September 8, ordering their detention to continue until then.
At the next hearing, the defendants are expected to answer the charges they face.
It is recalled that the Cyprus Court of Appeal had overturned the first instance decision and ordered the detention of the 46-year-old father and his two adult children until the trial.
The three defendants face a total of 122 charges for serious offenses allegedly committed against the children of the family from 2013 to May 2026. These include charges of systematic physical and psychological abuse, child abuse, kidnapping, indecent assault, sexual harassment, attempted sexual abuse of a child, causing bodily harm, threats, common assaults and degrading treatment.
The accused are the 46-year-old father, his 23-year-old daughter and his 21-year-old son who are on trial.
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Around 8 this morning, there was a road collision at the roundabout of the Nicosia General Hospital, in which three cars were involved.
Specifically, a car driven by a 44-year-old special constable, who was off duty, under circumstances investigated by the Police, collided with a vehicle in front of him driven by a 43-year-old woman. From the collision, the 42-year-old's car moved forward and collided with a car in front of her driven by a 38-year-old man.
As a result of the collision, a fire was caused in the cars of the 44-year-old and the 42-year-old, which completely destroyed them, while damage was caused to the back of the 38-year-old's vehicle. The fire was extinguished by the Fire Service.
The three drivers involved were transported by ambulance to Nicosia General Hospital where they were given first aid.
The three drivers were subjected to a breathalyzer test with the 44-year-old special constable being positive with a final reading of 59μg instead of 22 which is the maximum limit by the Law. In a further inspection, it was found that the 44-year-old was driving his car without a safety certificate.
A criminal and disciplinary case is being conducted against the 44-year-old.
